Thanks For The Memories
by cuttingdownthefamilytree
Summary: A selction of drabbles set in CP Coulter's Daltonverse.
1. Chustin

**Chustin:**

_Dare you to let me be, your one and only._

—

The song used is Adele's One and Only and it can be found here: **/watch?v=wA4ppvp2IzY**

—

"Do you… want to dance?"

"What?" Justin replied, staring at his best friend as if he had lost his mind.

"Just a thought…" Charlie murmured, blushing to his roots and putting his sunglasses back on, in an attempt to cover his face. Justin blushed too, turning away, it was moments like this, not that they happened regularly, that made him wonder if holidaying with the Amos family was honestly such a good idea.

It was the last night Justin was spending with them and Charlie's parents had taken it upon themselves to host a family dinner to say 'goodbye', they had however, as of yet, failed to turn up, and it wasn't looking as if they would.

An air of awkwardness settled between the two boys, Charlie, who was mentally kicking himself over his last question, shifted uncomfortably in his seat, it had been a spurr of the moment thing, he hadn't even thought about it, or the fact that Justin thought his feelings towards him were nothing more than platonic.

The silence was smothering him, he couldn't stand it any longer.

"I'm going to go get some air," Charlie said, his face blank of emotion, "Watch out for my parents?"

Justin nodded, smiling slightly, then went back to being highly interested in his glass of Coke.

Charlie stood on the balcony, the cool evening breeze ruffling his hair and calming his blush, which seemed to only have got worse since he left the Hanover prefect. Before now, he'd never really thought of his best friend in a romantic way, but now he thought about it, sometimes he would subconciously make a comment that could be classed as, he swallowed audibly, flirting.

He closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose, he was confused, to say the least. He knew that he was going to have to go back in there at some point, so he began to mentally prepare himself, switching his music on and trying to clear all thoughts of Justin from his mind.

It wasn't working.

Justin sighed deeply, pacing the room in a aimless fashion. Charlie. All he could think of was Charlie. His adorable awkwardness, how he was the perfect gentleman, how he sometimes just came out with things that made Justin want to kiss him, right there, right then, and worry about the consequences later. how he was straight. Justin mentally kicked himself, he had promised himself that he wouldn't do this, his 'thing' with Charlie was ongoing, and last month, it had almost pushed him over the edge, he nearly acted on it. He had been abou to confess, when Charlie had announced that he was dating Hope. From that moment Justin had decided it was time to give up, he was being ridiculous, living in a dream world of sorts, there was something about Charlie not being interested that his mind refused to accept.

He thought back to all the good times he's had with the Windsor prefect, and he couldn't help smiling slightly, spending time with him did that, made him feel safe, happy and left him with a warm feeling he just couldn't shake.

He paused for a second, losing his train of thought, if he listened closely, he could hear music coming from outside. A dangerous thought crossed his mind and now he grinned, properly.

What did he have left to lose?

"Chaz?" Justin whispered, his courage ebbing slightly when Charlie didn't turn to look at him, not even signalling his presence. He seemed kind of angry.

"Chaz, do you want to dance?"

Now, it was the other boy's turn to look shocked, whipping around in his chair, a slight smirk painted on his face.

"Had a change of heart have we, Switzerland?" he grinned, not holding back the adoring look he saved especially for the Britsh prefect. Justin flushed pink, staring at his feet with a bashful smile, while looking up at Charlie hopefully through his long eyelashes.

"Of course I want to dance," he nodded, moving awkwardly towards his best friend, threading one arm around his waist and interlacing his fingers with the shorter boy's. Justin let out a sigh of relief he didn't even know he'd been holding in. It felt so right.

A new song began to play, softly from Charlie's iPod dock, and the older boy chuckled, beginning to hum along casually.

"What's so funny?" Justin laughed, slightly hysterically, he could hear his heart pounding in his ears, his hannds beginning to shake slightly.

"It's just, the song is kind of relevant… just listen to the lyrics," Charlie replied simply, when the other boy tried to question him, he lifted a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him.

_You've been on my mind_  
><em>I grow fonder everyday<em>  
><em>Lose myself in time<em>  
><em>Just thinking of your face<em>  
><em>God only knows<em>  
><em>Why it's taken me so long to let my doubts go<em>  
><em>You're the only one that I want.<em>

Charlie smiled warmly as they swayed, moving easily together. The sun began to set behind thm, casting a beautiful red glow over everything and everyone. Justin closed his eyes, momentarily, trying to figure out what the hell was going on, what Charlie was trying to tell him.

The blonde haired Windsor lifted his arm, twirling the shorter boy underneath it, marvelling at the way the light shone off his eyes, turning them from blue to a purple tint, it was magical, mysterious, making honest, peace-keeping Justin Bancroft appear like a character from a fairytale.

_I don't know why I'm scared_  
><em>I've been here before<em>  
><em>Every feeling, every word<em>  
><em>I've imagined it all<em>  
><em>You'll never know, if you never try<em>  
><em>To forget your past and simply be mine…<em>

Charlie wasn't entirely sure why, he wasn't a singer, but when the chorus began to play, he sang along, whispering directly in Justin's ear, so to emphasise the point that he needed to listen, becaus he meant every word.

_"I dare you to let me be your one and only_  
><em>I promise I'm worthy <em>  
><em>To hold in your arms<em>  
><em>So come on and give me the chance<em>  
><em>To prove I'm the one who can walk that mile<em>  
><em>Until the end sta-"<em>

He was cut off by Justin's lips, soft and passionate, moving against his with such enthusiasm, he kissed back, letting all of his pent up emotions flow freely. They stayed this way for several minutes, Justin wrapping his fingers into Charlie's hair. When they finally broke apart, their heads resting together, Justin spoke.

"I-I thought you liked girls…"

"Sure, I do, but I've always…felt something for you, it wouldn't go away.

They kissed chastely, Justin removing his hands from Charlie's neck and taking one of his hands instead, squeezing it tightly.

"If it's not too much trouble, would you do me the pleasure of being my… my boyfriend, Mr Amos?"

"I thought you'd never ask."


	2. Jogan

**Jogan:**

_Miserable at best._

—

Based on this song by Secondhand Serenade: /watch?v=T_AR9lgDnDY

There weren't many places in Dalton that Julian Larson could honestly say felt like home, Stuart didn't, he was constantly forced to talk to Logan, to be around Logan, to look at those piercing green eyes. No, nowhere that put him through pain like that could be a home to him, could it? Well, actually, when he thought about it, home was wherever Derek and Logan were, the pain was something he had only forced upon himself, so in ways, Stuart was like home. However, if you were the ask Julian outright, he would probably say that the choir room was his favourite room in Dalton, and this was where he found himself, in the early hours of the morning, the only place he felt was important enough to get a proper goodbye.

He was leaving, going for real this time, and never coming back, he guessed it was the only way out anymore, he was sick of the vicious circle that being back at Dalton had put him in, he couldn't just sit back and watch Logan chase after Hummel anymore. He'd finally realised that the situation would never change. Lo would continue to fall madly in love with boring or uptight idiots, follow them to the point of near-stalking until they either gave in, ran away or took out a restraining order. Logan was never going to notice him, but guessed that was his fault, if he had just come out, about his sexuality, and his feelings for the Warbler, then he might not be in this predicament.

As it stood, Julian had had enough, he was sick and tired of being second best, of trying to help, and even that going unnoticed. He was on his way to the car, suitcases and all, when he passed the choir room, the door was unlocked, the moonlight glinting off the grande piano. He sighed, rolling his eyes, it was calling to him, and he couldn't resist.

Sitting down, he ran his fingers over the icy keys, thoughts of Logan still haunting his mind, and began to play.

_Logan, don't cry, I know_  
><em>You're trying your hardest<em>  
><em>And the hardest part is letting go<em>  
><em>Of the nights we shared <em>  
><em>Hollywood is calling and you know it's haunting<em>  
><em>But compared to your eyes, nothing shines quite as bright<em>  
><em>And when we look to the sky, its not mine, but I want it so.<em>

Logan was prone to night time walks around the school, sometimes he would get terrible nightmares, or the meds would keep him awake, he knew the only cure was to wander the corridors of the school, clear his head, the silence would calm him, the bright moonlight would purify his thoughts. Though tonight, as he walked, he could hear the chiming chords of the Warbler's piano, echoing through the halls. He frowned, suddenly eager to know who was so intent on ruining his night, and stuck his head round the door, covering his mouth to muffle the gasp he made when he realised… it was Julian.

_Let's not pretend like you're alone tonight_  
><em>(I know he's there)<em>  
><em>You're probably hanging out and making eyes<em>  
><em>(while across the room, he stares)<em>  
><em>I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor<em>  
><em>And ask my guy to dance, and you'll say yes<em>

_Because these words were never easier for me to say _  
><em>Or you to second guess<em>  
><em>But I guess<em>  
><em>That I can live without you but<em>  
><em>Without you I'll be miserable at best<em>

Julian continued to play, even though tears were running off his nose, falling on the black and white keys. He couldn't get the image of Logan out of his mind, the one that had been dancing through his dreams every night for the last month, the look on Logan's face when he talked to Kurt, the fierce passion that engulfed all his movements. That was Logan in love for you, Julian just hated to think that it would never be him, not matter how hard he tried.

_And this will be the first time in a week_  
><em>That I'll talk to you<em>  
><em>And I can't speak<em>  
><em>It's been three whole days since I've had sleep<em>  
><em>Because I dream of his lips on your cheek<em>  
><em>And I got the point that I should leave you alone<em>  
><em>But we both know that I'm not that strong<em>  
><em>And I miss the lips that made me fly<em>

The moonlight did something strange to Logan's perception of Julian, it cast it's ghostly light on him, causing him to look almost as if he was glowing, a faint silver light radiating off his body. It made him look beautiful. Heart-breakingly beautiful. And Logan, not for the first time, felt a wave of feelings for the actor wash over him, things he wasn't aloud, wasn't supposed to feel for his friend, who was straight, and would never be interested in him anyway. He was about to leave, everything suddenly felt too painful, too intimate to watch, when he realised that Julian had changed the song's lyrics and that instead of singing to a girl, Julian  
>was singing to another guy.<p>

_So let's not pretend like you're alone tonight_  
><em>(I know he's there)<em>  
><em>You're probably hanging out and making eyes<em>  
><em>(while across the room, he stares)<em>  
><em>I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor<em>  
><em>And ask my guy to dance, and you'll say yes<em>

Logan hadn't even noticed he was walking, until he was stood directly behind Julian, he had moved like a possesed man, unaware of his surroundings, concentrating only on the song and the second tidal wave of feelings that was crashing down on him. He was confused, a little frightened and one hundred percent sure he was about to do something incredibly stupid.

_Because these words were never easier for me to say _  
><em>Or you to second guess<em>  
><em>But I guess<em>  
><em>That I can live without you but<em>  
><em>Without you I'll be miserable<em>  
><em>And I can live without you<em>  
><em>But without you I'll be miserable<em>  
><em>And I can live without you<em>  
><em>Oh, without you I'll be miserable at best.<em>

"Jules?" Logan whispered as the song came to an end, Julian started, nearly falling off his piano stool, the turned to Logan, their eyes locked for a second, deep, chesnut brown met bright, grass green. Julian shook his head, his sobs more powerful now, his hands trembling as he sat, defeated. He had just poured his soul out, and now doing anything but crying seemed incredibly hard.

Then Logan did something incredibly stupid. He grabbed the crying boy's face, kissing him so forcefully, they both nearly ended up on the floor. Julian tasted of salty tears and vanilla lattes and Logan decided that nothing had ever tasted so good in his life. Finally, the shock wore off and Julian began to kiss back, moving his lips hungrily, not caring whether this was a dream, or a hallucination, he just knew that it felt so right.

—


	3. Jogan II

Jogan:

Set Fire To The Rain

—

Julian loved the rain. He loved the feeling of each droplet as it fell against his skin, trickling down his face, one by one they washed away the pain, the emotion, they left him numb, and sometimes that was the best thing, the only thing for it. Sometimes he would just sit outside in the torrential downpour, for hours on his own, and just think, somedays it was the only moment of peace he would get. He guessed it was a lot like how Logan must feel when he was on his meds, an overwheming feeling of nothing. Only Julian didn't want to _feel_ like Lo did, he welcomed the blankness with open arms, something he wanted, something he needed, something he searched for.

Julian loved the rain, Logan and Derek had acknowledged this as a fact of life, one of Jules' strange habits that they questioned from a distance. They'd never dare ask him to explain, they understood that from time to time people would do unexplainable things, and that a true friend would simply let it be. Instead, they would take it into their own hands to take care of him, trying to usher him inside, but they had to be careful. Waking Julian from a rain induced trance was like waking a sleepwalker. It was dangerous.

Julian loved Logan. He loved him so much, that sometimes it had hurt to think about it. Most nights they used to fight, insults being thrown, tears falling. Julian would sit outside in the rain and when he returned, he was so drenched, you could barely tell he'd been crying for hours. It worked well as a defense mechanism, the last thing Julian wanted people to know was that he was weak. It made him a easy target.

Logan loved Julian. He was one of the few friends he had, and in return for putting up with his endless drama, he was violently protective of him. Seeing his usually over confident best friend laying out on the grass, simply letting the rain take over, had usually been too much for him. He had hated the thought of Julian out there alone, in the cold, in the dark, it sent worry flooding his mind. Within five minutes he'd be outside, picking Julian up, bringing him inside. At least there Logan could keep an eye on him.

The fire still burned. In Julian's mind, the flames from Hell Night never stopped licking at his body. He could look in the mirror and still see scarlett flames dancing there. The things he saw that night haunted him, burning in his mind like a inferno, unstoppable, undestructable. Only water could wash away the smoke and ash that was left behind. The cool fingers of the rain calmed the blaze, putting out the flames around him, at least for a short while.

Rain prevented new fires from starting. Logan understood that much. He guessed that's why he never really objected to Julian spending so much time in it these days. It left a mark on everything it touched, soaking it to the core. Maybe if Julian was marked too, the fire would never get a chance to start again, and he'd be safe, which was all Logan seemed to care about anymore.

So, instead of forcing the actor inside, he would simply lay beside him, holding his head to his chest, close his eyes and forget about the world for a few minutes.

Logan loved rain.


End file.
